Scottish Executive

Air Services

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the new routes proposed for Scottish airports are for Glasgow airport.

Nicol Stephen: Discussions are on-going with a number of airlines and airports, including Glasgow Airport, about new routes from Scotland.

Air Services

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any bias against Glasgow in respect of plans for new routes for Scottish airports.

Nicol Stephen: No. The Interim Route Development Fund does not distort the market or discriminate between one airport and another. Glasgow Airport has been, and will continue to be, actively promoted through the fund. The ultimate decisions on where to fly from are taken by the airline companies involved.

Air Services

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to consult British Airways on the new routes for Scottish airports.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive and its agencies have engaged with a number of airlines, including British Airways on the development of new direct routes from Scotland.

Air Services

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can influence any decision by British Airways in respect of awarding new routes for Scottish airports.

Nicol Stephen: No. The Executive cannot discriminate in favour of any airport and is not in a position to "award" new routes as the final decision rests with the airlines.

Air Services

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether an independent adjudicator should be present at discussions about new routes for Scottish airports.

Nicol Stephen: There is no requirement for an independent adjudicator to be present at discussions about new routes for Scottish airports.

Air Services

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will hold an investigation into any disparity between Edinburgh and Glasgow airports in respect of the award of airport routes.

Nicol Stephen: The Interim Route Development Fund is non-discriminatory. The Executive is not in a position to "award" routes as the ultimate decision rests with the airlines.

Child Care

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received about the outcome of a complaint considered by the Highland Council's Complaints Review Committee in August 2002 in respect of entitlement of people who provide foster care for their grandchildren to maintenance allowance.

Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive has been provided with background to the case by Highland Council. The Fostering of Children (Scotland) Regulations 1996 and accompanying guidance give local authorities the discretion to decide what allowances to pay in line with local circumstances. We understand that Highland Council has taken these regulations and the accompanying guidance into account in looking at the situation in their council area.

Child Care

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities provide a financial support scheme for people responsible for the care of their grandchildren.

Euan Robson: We do not hold this information centrally.

Child Care

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities that do not provide financial support for people responsible for the care of their grandchildren are in breach of the (a) European Convention on Human Rights and (b) Children (Scotland) Act 1995.

Euan Robson: No. Local authorities have a discretionary power, not a duty, to pay allowances and do so based on individual circumstances and local needs.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has regarding the viability of cruise liners operating between Scotland and Scandinavia; if it has no information, what plans it has to gather such information and what the reasons are for its position on this matter, and what support is available for acquiring such information.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive will be assessing a range of factors related to the market for shipping services between Scotland and mainland Europe as it seeks to deliver its commitment to improve Scotland's ferry links to mainland Europe. The tourism bodies are seeking to promote Scotland as an attractive destination for the cruise liner market in the light of the important potential economic benefits.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional support or funding is available to assist in the maintenance and enhancement of international maritime routes and whether any additional funding will be available for the Superfast Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry route.

Nicol Stephen: A Partnership for a Better Scotland commits the Executive to improving Scotland's ferry links to mainland Europe. We will be developing plans to deliver this commitment but our ability to offer financial support in connection with any such ferry links is limited particularly by EU state aids rules.

Ports and Harbours

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what regulations require an environmental impact assessment to be carried out in respect of ports, harbours and maritime developments; under what circumstances such an assessment should be carried out, and what procedures have to be followed in respect of such assessments and in respect of coastal zone planning.

Nicol Stephen: The Harbour Works (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 1999 define the circumstances, in relation to proposed ports and harbours developments, which would determine whether an environmental assessment is required. Such developments normally relate to an application for a harbour order to convey the powers to undertake works under the Harbours Act 1964, or an application for a consent to undertake works under section 34 of the Coast Protection Act 1949 in relation to safety of navigation.

  In determining whether the circumstances of individual cases require an environmental assessment, the views of the relevant environmental bodies are sought. The procedures involved are set out in the regulations.

  Onshore aspects of coastal zone planning are subject to the town and country planning regime but we are continually moving towards a more holistic approach where all aspects of the coast are considered in delivering a balanced approach to development.

Rail Freight

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which sections of motorway are classified as subject to (a) high, (b) medium and (c) low congestion in terms of the sensitive lorry mile calculation used by the Strategic Rail Authority in its assessment of freight facilities grant applications.

Nicol Stephen: The sections of motorway in Scotland which are classified as subject to either higher or medium congestion are listed in the table. The remaining motorways are classified as subject to low congestion. This information can also be accessed on the Strategic Rail Authority's website at www.railfreightonline.co.uk/news/articles/n31.

  

 Classification
 Motorway
 Junction
 Comments


 High
 M8
 13-14
  


 High
 M8
 15-16
  


 High
 M8
 18-20
  


 Medium
 M8
  
 M73 intersection to Garthalmock


 Medium
 M8
 28
 Junction 28 to 0.3km west of junction


 Medium
 M8
 27-28
  


 Medium
 M8
 26-27
  


 Medium
 M8
 16-17
  


 Medium
 M8
 14-15
  


 Medium
 M74
 4
  


 Medium
 M74
 6-5
  


 Medium
 M8
 17-18
  


 Medium
 M8
 26
 Junction 26 to 0.23km east of junction


 Medium
 M8
 25-26

Roads

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost is of road improvements currently being undertaken on the A75 in Stranraer.

Nicol Stephen: The cost of the road improvements recently carried out on the A75 London Road in Stranraer is £502,600.

Roads

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to upgrade the (a) Shawhead flyover and (b) Raith interchange on the A725 and reduce the risk of congestion on the Bellshill bypass.

Nicol Stephen: An improvement to the Shawhead Junction is now under construction as part of the on-going work to refurbish the A8. When opened early in 2004, this will improve the performance of the junction but will not alleviate congestion on the Bellshill bypass for northbound traffic constrained as the carriageway reduces from two to one lane.

  The delivery brief being pursued by Scottish Executive consultants for the completion of the M8 motorway will bring forward comprehensive proposals for new junction arrangements at Shawhead and Raith. I expect to receive the consultants' initial recommendations for these junction improvements in the spring 2004.

Sport

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to reorganise  sportscotland and when any such plans will take effect.

Mr Frank McAveety: Sportscotland was subject to review by the Executive as part of the Review of Public Bodies in 2001. Following on from this, an independent Organisational Review made recommendations for a revised management and organisational structure which the Executive accepted in October 2001. The changes were implemented by  sportscotland in 2001-02.

  Scottish ministers have a commitment to review non-departmental public bodies every five years. Sportscotland will be due to be reviewed again in 2006.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that quality contracts in respect of transport projects are taken up and made simpler to obtain; whether additional funds will be made available to local authorities to meet the cost of the take-up of quality contracts if additional revenue is required by transport operators, and if so, from which budget such funds will be allocated and, if not, how local authorities will encourage the creation of quality contracts operators.

Nicol Stephen: A Partnership for a Better Scotland commits the Executive to promoting bus quality contracts and guidance is available to help transport authorities to develop proposals. A quality contract will have a significant effect on the bus services to which it relates. It is important that the assessment of the case is robust and we have no plans to change the rules which are set out in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001.

  Local authorities have substantial resources to enable them to meet the transport needs of their areas through non-housing capital and Revenue Support Grant - both of which have significantly increased in recent years. In addition, the Executive's Public Transport Fund and Integrated Transport Fund have supported a range of bus related projects throughout Scotland, with committed funding continuing into 2005-06.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will dispense with the need for a full Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) proposal for the creation of quality contracts in respect of transport projects and, if so, when this will take place.

Nicol Stephen: No. The Scottish Executive has no plans to dispense with the need for a STAG appraisal for transport policies, projects and programmes for which it provides funding, support or approval.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it takes to monitor, follow up and ensure implementation of local authority freight strategies and what the purpose of each current strategy is.

Nicol Stephen: The guidance issued to local authorities on local transport strategies reminds them of the need to consider freight issues. Separate freight strategies are not required.

Young Offenders

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons have been learned from the electronic tagging of young offenders scheme in England.

Ms Margaret Curran: A report prepared for the Home Office into pilot schemes for electronic monitoring of young offenders under 16 is available at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/occ-tagging.pdf , as well as from the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 28276). The consultation paper Putting our communities first considers how best to introduce electronic monitoring as an additional disposal for children's hearings in specific circumstances.